Both have released new firmwares. So maybe it is time to come back. on the points where there where problems in the reviews or not ? (I know that the lite on can do orriginal laserlock's now, but what is with the plextor ? )

Money is not important. The reason why I ask is because the plex can do some tricks that no Lite On at this moment can do. (The Plex will not be fooled with audio cd`s containing an incorrect lead out and that sort of things. First version of cactus datashield.)

Also the plex has really the correct EFM encoding. What lite on did no one seems to know. It can do savedisk 2 but it hasn`t got correct efm encoding. It might seem that chipset can handle better the weak sectors. How ever what will it do if it will be harder. Correct EFM will allways do the trick. But the Lite On chipset is unknown to that point. And then there is as a bonus the 2 year warranty. And the better support however Lite On is improving their support very much at this moment.

Also no plex seems to have problems with cd text, but the lite on sometimes won`t work with some software.

So the only thing the plex needs is the correct reading of laserlock's (1&2)and better reading with older cd-r's. However that is not a big point. So can anyone tell me if the plex can read it now ?

You are incorrect Thonk, the liteOn does have Correct EFM encoding and it is also registered with the latest CloneCD. I have the LITEON and it will backup anything you throw at it trust me. The drive is super awesome and it costs alot cheaper!! Save yourself the extra money and get it. Its well worth it and I am sure you want be dissapointed. SOmeone has also posted somewhere that 2 year warranty is mandotary in UK but ask the shop you purchase it of.

Not completely was I wrong. Okay I was wrong about the correct EFM and half wrong about the warranty. (Lite on gives 2 years after the manufacturing date according to my shop. Plextor will give it after the sales date)

But how about the lead in and out tricks every plex can. It seems that only plextor can do it but no Lite On at this moment except maybe for their 24102B drive. So anyone has got an old copy protected version of HIM's Razorblade Romance (german version. On the CD itself states that it is protected) And tried to rip it with his 24102B drive. This CD is protected with Cactus Datashield V1.0 As far as I know Cactus Datashield V1.0 can only be copied with a plex as a reader. So can anyone with this disk. (not the unprotected ones. Only the copied protectioned one) and a lite-on 24 burner show me that it can be ripped with the burner

Because what do you think that Midbar will do with a new version of their Cactus. Use more of the first or the second version ? Well the first was a worked better as their second sollution. So they probally will make an version which will be more based on the first as on the second. Or could combine the 2 techniques. However then they still have a problem with the plextor material.

And then there still is the cd text problem. A friend of mine bought the lite-on and with a lot of sofware he can't write CD text and there were some people here who had the same problems. So how about that one ?

So it seems that the plex still has a small advantage if it can read laserlock's correct now. I know most people won't mind. But last days the industry seems to be doing everything to do something about correct ripping of audio discs so I do mind.

So anyone tell me can the lite on do it yes or no Or can anyone tell me if the plex does laserlock's reading now I will buy the one that can do it all (Safedisk 1/2, Cactus Datashield 1/2, Securom, Libcrypt, Laserlock 1/2) and I think that the plextor 24/10/40 will be first and maybe the only drive that can do it. If the both can do it at allmost the same time I offcourse will buy the lite on, because it is cheaper.

So Sherman & Nico and the other lite-on lovers; It seems that there maybe actually a copy protection the lite-on cannot copy, but every plex does. So talking about that lite-on can copy everything is a bit to early unless you have checked it. I am trying to get it checked myself but it will take quite some time. However if anyone can show that the lite on can do it then there is one problem solved. I have checked the lite on 12102b and that drive could not do it a12 speed SCSI plextor and the 16/10/40A plexwriter could do it. So I think it will not do it but maybe with new firmwares it does. Since it is just a software matter for the burner. Plextor have upgraded all their drives for it when cd's with the protection came out even for their old drives so at that point lite on can do the same.

As far as I know, I have never come across the copy protection Cactus Datashield yet as I am living in Australia. SO I won't be able to tell you if the Lite-On can do it or not. However if you have the money and money is no object to you, then Yes by all means go with the Plextor as your probably have a psycological advantage over Lite-On users because of the fact that it costs more. Since it costs more then obviously it has to be better right? Therotically the Lite-On and the Plextor can copy every Popular protection on the market currently. How long will it last? Sooner or latter someone is going to make a better protection that both CDRW's wont able to do. I maybe wrong but I feel that you have already made up your mind about the Plextor. If you have then don't let us persuade you into the LiteOn as I would not want to be responsible for you in making the wrong Decision.

Plextor maybe has got the advantage that they can do it. But then again lite on has made the drive that is cheaper. So only if the plex can do more as the lite on it will be right to pay more I think. However I still don't know it the plex does actually do laserlock or that the lite on can do Cactus Datashield 1.

A friend of me is going to test if the Lite On can actually do it. (Since he just bought the lite on and own's a cd with Cactus Datashield v1.0. To him it didn't matter since he has got a plextor cdrom player). We are going to do anything we can to get it the music ripped with the lite on. We maybe got a trick which will let the lite on bypass the protection. But we have to check.

We shall see if plextor is the only on that can do it or that The cheap Lite On is actually the King of the burners as soon as we succeed or not I will let you guys know.

If it doesn't maybe the Lite On users could start a mail action to lit e on for fixing it. The users of plextor did the same and plextor lissened to them and did find their way arround it. As it seems that lite on is trying real hard to compete with plextor this time and I actually think that they can win this round.

1 Because it seems that as soon as 24102B hit the stores the actually improved their service big times. (Fast email reactions, Firmwares are on their site and more of these things, good support if you phone them)Most things only plextor and teac had before. 2 They are cheaper 3 Their drive is easier to get here in Holland. I know that some people have very much problems to get it. But here my local stores 7 of 8 have got the lite on way , but only one has got the plex for sale.)

So it still is all open. So lett's start testing if it can do it or not.